First, I’m NOT looking to change anyone’s mind about what they eat. But I also don’t like the misinformation and would like to share what I’ve learned as I go through trying to regain and improve my personal health.
1. Vegetarians as a rule don’t eat meat (mammal flesh), but usually eat dairy, and may eat eggs, fish. Some eat poultry.
2. pure Vegans don't eat or use any animal products, to include honey and leather.
3. Whole food plant based eaters (what I strive to follow) don’t eat animal products. Honey is different and extremely healthy and I definitely eat honey. I avoid overly processed foods. I try to eat food that looks like how it came from the farm, at least when it was prepared in the kitchen. I eat both cooked and raw. I also use leather products. For me, it’s about my personal health. My diet consists largely of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, beans, legumes, potatoes, etc.
Simply eating vegetarian or vegan doesn’t make one healthy, as you can eat a diet of potato chips, Oreos, coke, and a ton of other processed crap and be a vegan. Likewise, if you add a lot of dairy and eggs, that brings the bad gut bacteria and saturated fats back to clog the arteries.
I eat like I do because when I hit my late 40’s, after a 28 year career on active duty and eating whatever, I was in bad shape. Joints were shot, had gastro issues for years, arthritis in every part of my body, 6 shot vertebrae in my neck and back, and crappy sleeping. And now, my triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood pressure numbers were all in the warning areas. I’d had several pancreas attacks and my gall bladder removed after I turned yellow one day from sludge backing up into my liver. I’d taken tons of anti inflammatory and gastro meds over the last 6 years with little relief.
After being prescribed BP meds, I decided to do some research. I stumbled on the Forks Over Knives documentary. Then watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Both are available on Netflix. I started juicing and eating more plants than animals. Started weaning off the processed stuff.
I still have a steak from time to time, but honestly, it’s becoming less and less a craving.
Today, I take no meds. I can sleep through the night most nights, and can walk to the bathroom in the morning much less stiff and no stumbling. I hurt way less, and my BP & heart rate were 114 over 72 and 59 last I checked on Wednesday. I’m a 57 year young white guy. I still have 20 or so pounds to loose, which would really help my bad knee, but it’s going slowly.
I used to hunt and fish a lot and eat a ton of meat, mainly pork and beef. And I am a dang good cook, and will be cooking a couple turkeys and good gravy for my American Legion Thanksgiving feast...I just won’t be eating any. I’ll stick to the taters and veggies mainly. I’m sure I’ll ‘taste test’ the bird, but not much...
So y’all can eat whatever you want. That is on you, and there is no way I’m taking away your rights and freedoms. But you can’t just make stuff up. There is ZERO true medical studies that show a diet of meat to be superior to a diet of vegetables.
Further, our body is designed to eat plants, not meat. Your intestine is the intestine of a plant eater, not a carnivore. And your teeth are designed to chew and grind fibers, not rip and tear raw meat like a canine or a cat.
And as far as protein and B12 goes, that all originally comes from plants.
If you want to watch a very interesting documentary with an athletic focus, this one just came out, and it might answer some questions...if you really want to know some facts you’ve probably not been told:
https://gamechangersmovie.com/